After two years of design work and a year of construction, Milton Township’s new township hall is opening its doors.

Township officials and staff were busy Friday moving into the new building, which is located next to the old one at 32101, Bertrand St., Niles.

The former township hall is available for rent or lease beginning January 2015.

“We wanted a building that would serve all the needs of the township on into the future,” said Robert Benjamin, township supervisor.

The $1.7 million facility, which includes a playground and improvements to parking and drainage, was paid for with general fund money and a $1.5 million capital improvement loan.

The public is invited to tour the new building and enjoy refreshments with elected officials during an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1.

Benjamin said one of the main reasons for building the new township hall was to add more space for people to gather during elections.

“During the last presidential election we had people standing outside in inclement weather,” he said. “That is not the way to run an election. There should never be a time where people should have to wait outside.”

Township officials looked at expanding the current building, but after consulting experts they decided to go with a new building that Benjamin said would last 50 years.

The new facility includes many design features including:

• Playground facility — New children’s playground facility added to the township’s park area including public Wi-Fi access.

• Improved traffic flow and increased parking — To give school buses a safer area to drop-off and pick-up students.

• Disaster site improvements — Reinforced/secured basement, shower facilities, building generator and increased space for use during a disaster or after an emergency event.

• Election space improvements — Larger meeting area and entrance/exit improvements to improve the flow of voting traffic during election processes.

• Increased meeting and office areas — New office spaces for building/zoning officials, conference rooms available for government meetings or public rentals, new office space for the local county commissioner to meet with residents.

• New drainage and water retention system — This will reduce flooding that was occurring on the corner of Bertrand and Gumwood roads.

Milton Township has worked with the Edwardsburg Public School’s transportation department, American Red Cross, Cass County Sheriff’s office, Cass County Office of Emergency Management, Cass County Information Systems Department, Cass County Parks Department, and many various elected officials in the designing of the building to serve the needs to the township, county, and surrounding municipalities’ needs.